The production of carbon nanotubes from carbon dioxide: challenges and opportunities Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Abstract Recent advances in the production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are reviewed with an emphasis on the use of carbon dioxide (CO2) as a sole source of carbon. Compared to the most widely used carbon precursors such as graphite, methane, acetylene, ethanol, ethylene, and coal-derived hydrocarbons, CO2 is competitively cheaper with relatively high carbon yield content. However, CNT synthesis from CO2 is a newly emerging technology, and hence it needs to be explored further. A theoretical and analytical comparison of the currently existing CNT-CO2 synthesis techniques is given including a review of some of the process parameters (i.e., temperature, pressure, catalyst, etc.) that affect the CO2 reduction rate. Such analysis indicates that there is still a fundamental need to further explore the following aspects so as to realize the full potential of CO 2 based CNT technology: (1) the CNT-CO2 synthesis and formation mechanism, (2) catalytic effects of transitional metals and mechanisms, (3) utilization of metallocenes in the CNT-CO2 reactions, (4) applicability of ferrite-organometallic compounds in the CNT-CO2 synthesis reactions, and (5) the effects of process parameters such as temperature, etc. 2010 CAS/DICP.

published proceedings

  • Journal of Energy Chemistry

altmetric score

  • 3

author list (cited authors)

  • Simate, G. S., Iyuke, S. E., Ndlovu, S., Yah, C. S., & Walubita, L. F.

citation count

  • 26

publication date

  • September 2010